Improvement in dredging-machines



l 2 SheetsQ-SheeLZ. [5.12 /1 EL l). //INDL'c/JR Patented Oct. 10,1871,

1 (fa/L UNITED STATES:

PATENT OFFICE.

ISRAEL D. VANDEUAR, oE enioAGo, ILLINOIS.

IMPovEMENT 1N DREoelNc-MACHINES.'

i* Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1-19,901, datedOctober l0, 1 1571.

To all u-hom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ISRAEL D. VAnDEoAR, of

Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Dredging-Machines, of which the follow- .ingis a specificatiom' My invention relates to that class ofdredgingmachines which have hinged or pivoted scoops' that are openedand-closed by a series of jointed levers and chains or ropes; and itconsists, tirst,

in the special mechanism, hereinafter described,

.by which the said scoops are pivoted; and second, in the specialconstruction and arrangement 4 Fig. 2 represents the same closed in theposition it assumes when filled. Fig.'3 represents aside view of themachine in the same closed position. Fig. 4 represents 'an enlarged viewof the sliding block and hoisting-hooks, with one -of the side plates ofsaid block removed.

` A in the drawing represents the hinged scoops; B, the bails of saidscoops, with bent arms V(l at,- tached thereto. Dis a cross-shaft, towhich saidl bails are pivoted, as shown; and E, a vertical rod,Aattached rigidly to said shaft. F F are jointed connecting-rods,connecting the outer ends of the arm Gwith the sliding head H. I is asliding block, and J Jarc hooks pivoted to said sliding block, Jasshown. K is a pulley, hung on bearings within said block. L L areconnectinglinks or rods, attached loosely to pins M M on .opposite sidesof the pulley K and to the arms of the hooks J J, as shown. N isa cord,which passes in the groove'of the pulley K and is attached to saidpulley, as is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4. vO is a hoisting-chain,attached to the sliding block Iby one strand thereof, being at tached orhooked to said block atI and the other two strandsby passing around alpulley, Q, in saicf block. R R are chains,

, block I to the. back. part of the scoops A. S S

attaching the sliding are rubberbloc'ks, attached to the scoops A where'leverv in the application of the p the hails B will strikeagainsttheni,and thereby prevent a noise and jar, and injury to themachine when opened, as hereafterdescribed. 'l is also a rubber block,placed on the rod E for the sliding headH to strike'againstwhcn the ma.chine isopened. U U are braces, rigidly attached to the back part of thescoops A and pivote-d to the shaft D. 4

The operation of my machine is as follows: Fig. l represents the machinelowered to the bottom of the river or lake -to be dredged, so that thescoops'rest in the position shown in Fig. I on said bottom. The hoistingpower being applied to the fchain O, by means of tackle applied to aderrick or other well-known mechanism suitable for that purpose, it iscommunicated through the hoks J J ,which are hooked to the head of thesliding head H and the jointed connecting-rods F, to the arms C ofthebails B.' These hails, be-

ing pivoted to thesliaft l), serve as'levers to force the scoopstogether, and at the same'tinie cause 1 them to scoop themselves full ofthe-earth or Inavterial upon which they rest, the machine assuming theposition in all its parts shown in .Fig.2, when, by continuation of theapplication of power, the machine is raised and swung around to theplace where it is desired to deposit the contents l of the scoops. Bypulling the cordNthe pulley K is revolved, and, through theconnecting-links L, the hooks J are vibrated al'id released from thesliding head H, when the weight of the machine is taken by the chains 1t'instead of being supported through the head H and bails of the scoops'-and their connections, and the scoops opened, as

shown in Fig. l, discharging their contents, the sliding head 'H fallingdown upon the rubber block T; but the block I remaining elevated. Themachine is then swung back and loweredfora second load, and the block Ilowered so as to slide down on the rod E till tire hooks J engageon thesliding head H, when the machine is ready for theremoval of al secondload, as above described.

The braces U brace the back part of the scoops and keep them from beingthrown out of' shape. By means of the bails B and-arms C, and the shaftD, the power for closingthe scoops is applied at each end of them, the bserving as a bent arm C'extending outward','fas shown, the scoops areheld pressed together until the hooks J are released from the slidinghead H, as above vandby the described. The draft-chain O passes from thedrum of any hoisting apparatus over the hook shown at the top of Figs.1A and 2, which hook maybe regarded as suspended from the boom of' avessel; from thence it passes downward around the pulley Q, and then upover the said hook; and from thence down again to theslidng block l, towhich it is attached at P. In practical operation a pulley-block andsheaves are substi tutcd for the said hook to prevent too greatfriction, and to incrcase'the draft power. As the free end of thedraft-chain is wound around the d'rmn of, a hoistingl apparatus thedredging-machine. is raiscd,and as it is unwound it is lowered. 'lhepurpose and operation of the pulley Q is thus made clear.

Having described thel construction and operation of my dredginganachine,what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the scoops'A, bails B,

arms C, shaft D, and braces U, whe'n constructed and arrangedsubstantially as shown and dcscrbed.

2. In combination with the vscoops'A, bails B, arms G, and shaft D, thejointed connecting-rods F F and slidinghead H, substantially asdescribed.

3.' 1n combination with the scoops A, bails B, arms C, and shaft D, therubber blocks S and'T, as and for the purpose shown and described.

4. The combination of the pulley K, connectng-linksL, hooks J ,slidingblock I, and cord N, constructed and arranged as and for the purposesset forth.

5. The combination of the sliding block I, the pulley Q, and chain O,constructed and arranged as described.

ISRAEL D. VANDEGAR.

Witnesses: F. F. WARNER, HEINR. F. BRUNs.

